Nikolai
TY 4 Stroke God
Since my steering is direct from bars to steering arm with no additional linkages I believe I am 1:1.
Nikolai
TY 4 Stroke God
Made a crude jig last night to so I could get the post tube held in the correct position for the T-top to be perpendicular to the steering arm. Tacked it last night, I will finish welding it today.
Nikolai
TY 4 Stroke God
U-joint welded and post taped in place to make the bushing mounts. Goal is 0.5 lbs for both mounts.
This bushing may be able to be printed in tpu. While in this instance it may not save weight , it may allow a part that couldn’t be made elsewhere using non 3d printed techniques. Also note the inside can be made a varying percentage of hollow, something you can’t do with subtractive manufacturing.
Other uses of tpu include rubberized mounts , ( I plan to make a plenum hold down out of this rubbery material ) , I am also making a printed carbon fibre nylon plenum for my boosted apex build, along with tpu intake boots. (One must curve around steering).
There are also printers that lay continuous carbon fibre strands into the printed part making it stronger than aluminum per pound i beleive.
You can also get metal parts pritned with a less than 100 percent infill, however I can’t see an example on your build right now for it , I need to read your whole thread.
Nikolai
TY 4 Stroke God
Going to be be well under the .5 lb goal for both brackets. I got the top one below 83 grams. Was so focused on weight I forgot to make it large enough for the steering stop. I’m either going to cut the bushing down to make room or put the stop against the lower bushing, undecided right now.
Bent a piece of .090 4130 plate to keep it simple.
Hardware. 8mm torx low profile bolts and K-nuts. 47g for all 4.
Bent a piece of .090 4130 plate to keep it simple.
Hardware. 8mm torx low profile bolts and K-nuts. 47g for all 4.
Nikolai
TY 4 Stroke God
Welded the upper bracket.
Made the lower bracket out of .040 to keep the weight down, it was only 27g. I almost scrapped having a 2nd lower bushing, didn’t seem like it was needed but figured it might make the upper last longer.
Only ended up being 0.24 lbs for both steel brackets. Next on the to do list is to make the steering stop and then weld the T-top.
Also debating cutting out the pieces with blue tape. After welding in the 3/4 tubes (red tape) behind the steering post those little 1” tubes aren’t doing squat but adding clutter to the frame. Only hesitation is not knowing if the HAZ from welding would be a weak area in the spar if I cut the short tube out?
Made the lower bracket out of .040 to keep the weight down, it was only 27g. I almost scrapped having a 2nd lower bushing, didn’t seem like it was needed but figured it might make the upper last longer.
Only ended up being 0.24 lbs for both steel brackets. Next on the to do list is to make the steering stop and then weld the T-top.
Also debating cutting out the pieces with blue tape. After welding in the 3/4 tubes (red tape) behind the steering post those little 1” tubes aren’t doing squat but adding clutter to the frame. Only hesitation is not knowing if the HAZ from welding would be a weak area in the spar if I cut the short tube out?
YamaSpark
VIP Member
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- Greenfield, Minnesota
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- Snowmobile
- 2016 SR VIPER S-TX 137 DX
I would leave the blue marked tubes alone. They must add some support, plus the haz from welding may be a concern. Just my two cents!
kinger
VIP Member
I like that blue tube location. Help in a impact to keep from bending frame and just ruin a A arm.
I agree.
I agree.
The blue location is only absorbing a direct impact onto the a-arm itself. The lever countering that twist is a very short segment of that cross tube that holds the rear a-arm pivot (the front half looks very strong). If the a-arms are made of similar material the likelihood of that short piece bending vs the longer arms in the a-arm is low. Without the brace the exposed arm there is very short making it very resistant to bending as is, and the entirety of that short piece could probably be just as supported with an overlapping gusset to make it stiffer. Looking at it in the reverse the mass of the sled in the wrong situation is driving through the long tube of the upper pillar section. That tube will give before either the short arm or the short cross tube.
If you are unsure, leave it there. If you want to split the difference, replace it with a lighter triangular flat plate, but I think you are safe to remove it.
I agree.
The blue location is only absorbing a direct impact onto the a-arm itself. The lever countering that twist is a very short segment of that cross tube that holds the rear a-arm pivot (the front half looks very strong). If the a-arms are made of similar material the likelihood of that short piece bending vs the longer arms in the a-arm is low. Without the brace the exposed arm there is very short making it very resistant to bending as is, and the entirety of that short piece could probably be just as supported with an overlapping gusset to make it stiffer. Looking at it in the reverse the mass of the sled in the wrong situation is driving through the long tube of the upper pillar section. That tube will give before either the short arm or the short cross tube.
If you are unsure, leave it there. If you want to split the difference, replace it with a lighter triangular flat plate, but I think you are safe to remove it.
Nikolai
TY 4 Stroke God
Appreciate the input, I won’t make any decisions quite yet. My thought was that with how light AC builds the upper a-arms and the small hardware they use, there can’t be that much force on the upper a-arms with their suspension design or guys wound be breaking bolts and bending a-arms.
1nc 2000
Lifetime Member Tim
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- Yamaha FX Nytro RTX SE
I would leave it and add some gussets to the forward lower triangle to keep the whole works from twisting sideways.
Nikolai
TY 4 Stroke God
Finished the steering post. Tedious job but then so is everything.
Did not leave myself any room for the steering stop so I removed the end of the bushing that wasn’t making contact with the plate.
Took forever to get the steering stop filed perfect so it would make contact right before my steering arm hit the temporary stops. I stopped the steering arm a little short to take into account any flex on the steering.
Under 18g for the final product. Used .090 plate.
I slid the steering stop over the post then installed the bushing. After getting the position correct I took a piece of 1.25 tube, faced it in the lathe then put one cut in if lengthwise. Removed the bushing and installed the tube with a couple hose clamps to compress it down and hold the stop in place. Then made another one for the bottom that I cut in half and notched out where I would weld. I wanted to be able to lock the steering stop in place after finalizing its position and weld it without removing any brackets.
After the steering stop was done I welded the T-top on which is 7/8 x .058. The post tube is 1-1/8 x .058.
Steering is 100% done, glad to have that behind me.
Finished weights
- complete steering post w/ oilite bushing 3.06 lbs
- both bushing setups w/ 4 bolts & nuts 0.32 lbs
- pivot tube w/ bolt & nut 0.14 lbs
- total weight for the entire steering setup 3.52 lbs.
Did not leave myself any room for the steering stop so I removed the end of the bushing that wasn’t making contact with the plate.
Took forever to get the steering stop filed perfect so it would make contact right before my steering arm hit the temporary stops. I stopped the steering arm a little short to take into account any flex on the steering.
Under 18g for the final product. Used .090 plate.
I slid the steering stop over the post then installed the bushing. After getting the position correct I took a piece of 1.25 tube, faced it in the lathe then put one cut in if lengthwise. Removed the bushing and installed the tube with a couple hose clamps to compress it down and hold the stop in place. Then made another one for the bottom that I cut in half and notched out where I would weld. I wanted to be able to lock the steering stop in place after finalizing its position and weld it without removing any brackets.
After the steering stop was done I welded the T-top on which is 7/8 x .058. The post tube is 1-1/8 x .058.
Steering is 100% done, glad to have that behind me.
Finished weights
- complete steering post w/ oilite bushing 3.06 lbs
- both bushing setups w/ 4 bolts & nuts 0.32 lbs
- pivot tube w/ bolt & nut 0.14 lbs
- total weight for the entire steering setup 3.52 lbs.
kinger
VIP Member
A 3.5lb steering system is so laughable compared to my Apex LOL Well done!
Nikolai
TY 4 Stroke God
I don’t know if I could go any thinner on the wall thickness without risking breakage. I’ve used .058 on posts before with no issues. I don’t know how .049 would hold up. Steering isn’t an area I want to find the threshold on.
